quae illis debetur hominibus aliquid in eorum scriptis improbare atque respuere si forte inuenerimus que aliter senserint quaÌ„ veritas habet diuino adiuto rio vel ab alijs intellecta uel à nobis Qualis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tales volo esse intellectores meorum That is we ought not to repute any mennes reasons and sayenges though they be catholyke and prayse worthye men as we ought to do the canonical scriptures as thoughe we myght not sauyng the reuerence due vnto those men improue and reiecte any thyng in theyr wrytynges yf we chaunce to fynde that they meane otherwyse than the truthe hathe whether it be vnderstanden by the helpe of God of vs or of others As I am in the wrytynges of other suche wolde I haue to be vnderstanders of myne The same S. Austen dothe more largely expounde thys hys iudgement in his epistle to S. Ierome in the 5. chap. of his 11. boke Contra Faustum and in hys 48. epistle Ad Vincentium and in the. 3. chap. of hys 2. boke De Baptismo coÌ„ tra Donatistas Furthermore he reasoneth vpon generall Counsailles wyth Maximinus bishop of the Arianes in hys 3. boke and among other thinges sayeth Sed nunc non ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tanque praeiudicaturus proferre consilium nec ego huius au thoritate nec tu illius detineris scripturarum authoritatibus non quorumque propriis sed vtrisque coÌ„munibus testibus res cum re caussa cum caussa ratio cuÌ„ ratione concertet But now ought not I sayeth s Austen to allege the CouÌ„sail of Nice nor thou the counsail of Arimine as though to haue that vpperhaÌ„de ther by but by the autorities of the scriptures not by euery mannes owne authoritie but both sydes hauyng common witnesses let mater pleade wyth mater cause wyth cause reasoÌ„ with reasoÌ„ Here you see S. Austen calleth vs from counsailles yea euen from the moste sacred couunsail of Nice vnto the autoritie of the scriptures Panormitanus therfore a writour of late dayes semeth not to speake fondly nor falsly wher he sayeth Panormitanus Plus credeÌ„duÌ„ est vni laico afferentiscripturas quam genera li concilio vniuersalem representanti Ecclesiam si scripturas non afferat There is more credence sayeth he to be geueÌ„ to one laye man that bringeth furth scriptures than to a general CouÌ„sail whych representeth the hole vniuersal churche yf they bring not furth scriptures Therfore yf the sayenges or iudgementes of fathers or expositions of the scriptures varye from the canonical scripture the rule of fayth ther is no cause why any man should laye agaynst vs that the fathers were ryght famous learned men singular holy men and men of reuerend antiquitie For the prophetes and apostles of Christ were greater learned more holy of more auncient antiquitie than they Nother is ther any cause why any man should charge vs with the multitude of churches that haue agreed in thys or that meanyng or in thys or that exposition For the coÌ„sent of Christes prophetes Apostles and Patriarkes is worthy muche hygher reputacion in syncere religion and godly vnderstaÌ„ding of religion manifestly reuealed vnto vs by the scriptures And yf a man wolde recken vs vp thus many and thus many great realmes and hole countreyes that are of thys iudgemeÌ„t or that we wyl cheoke hym wyth the trauailes of one maÌ„ eueÌ„ poore Paule whych filled all places full wyth the playne sense and simple vnderstandyng of the Gospel from Ierusalem and the coastes lyeng rounde about vnto Illiricum The .vi. Chaptre NOtwythstandyng in thys behalfe I maye not saye naye Of the catholike vâ—derstanding of the scripture but the holy fathers the olde interpretours of scriptures do many times make mencion of some certayne vndeniable most catholyke meanyng of the scriptures But yet we may not vnderstande that of theyr owne peculiar expositions seyng they varye very often in theyr interpretacions and disagree wyth them selues and accorde not wyth other interpretours of most excellent iudgement yea and wonderous many tymes one reprehendeth an others exposition As we nede to seke no further examples but of S. Ierome in hys CoÌ„mentaries vpon the Prophetes And the catholyke churche of God hathe alwayes had and hath yet at thys daye a certain catholike and assured true exposicion of the scriptures grounded of the concordaunce of faithe and set forthe for Christes people to folowe it in all poyntes wherin al godly men albeit they dissent in other maters yet they agree in it as wher we read in scripture that God made heauen and earth that he spake vnto the fathers and that he hathe and dothe stil rewarde the good and punishe the euil the catholike vnderstanding of faithe biddeth vs vnderstande those sayenges of the true euer lyuing merciful God not of a fearce cruel God that were a maker of euil as Cerdon Mercion and Manicheus in their fonde fables flirted out the mater Also wher we reade that God worketh al in al thinges the catholike sence of faith chargeth vs that we take not God to be the autor of synne For we bring and commytte synne as it were by enheritaunce euen of our owne original vicious poisoned nature And the holy people while they lyue in this worlde are endaungered to synne are saued by the mere mercy free ê‘done of God not by theyr owne merites Furthermore where the scripture speaketh of God and calleth hym the Father the sonne the holy goost the catholyke sense of faith of the church byddeth vs vnderstaÌ„d that God is one in substaunce three in persones And wher the scripture affirmeth Christ to be very perfite God very perfite man the catholike sense of the church byddeth vs vnderstande Christ to be abyde in diuerse natures but not confused in them selues yet in one inseperable persone Praxeas and Sabellius confounde iomble the persones together Arius denyeth the sonne to be very God consubstancial wyth the father Valentinus denyeth the sonne to be very man of al one substauÌ„ce wyth vs. Nestorius disseuereth hys persone Eutyches Timotheus make the natures of hys Godhead maÌ„heade al one But the catholike churche alwayes reteyneth her owne true ryght vnderstandyng of the scripture whych for all that the holy fathers in theyr written workes disputacions against heresies haue declared coÌ„firmed by that scriptures For that cause the holy fathers haue euer obiected the catholyke mynde of the churche to heritikes howbeit they dyd strayght wayes confirme and declare the same by the scriptures and deduced it religiously out of the chief principles of our fayth As I shal anone speake of these maters more at large And thys selfe same catholyke sense vnderstandyng of the scriptures the gospellers churche kepeth diligently perfite sounde euen at thys daye as Kyng Edward the .vi. and the churche of Englande dyd in hys
it was in EnglaÌ„de vnder Kyng Edward the holy sacred and ryght diuine prayer which Iesus Christ the sonne of God hym selfe hath geuen vs as a handsome shorte summe of all prayers or formes of prayers and is written Matthew 6. Ther is vsed and exercised in the Bospellers churche and so it was also vnder King Edwarde the true inuocacion and callyng vpon the true almyghty God with due thankes geuyng for the gyftes benefytes that we haue and do receaue of hym And that inuocacion we kepe syncere and pure For we vse our vulgare common knowen tongue in all thynges whether we syng or praye wythout syngyng For who knoweth not that it is free eyther to syng or not syng in churches as is requisite or not requisite for the congregacions We call vpon God alone our most mercyfull alknowyng and almyghty father yea and we call vpon hym as he hym selfe hathe taught vs by Iesus Christ our Lorde As for creatures we call vpon none of them nother in stede of the creatour nor wyth the creatour We call vpon hym Rom. 10. in whome we beleue but we beleue in God alone and not in creatures therfore we call vpon God and vpon no creature As for the sayntes departed whose soules lyue wyth God in heauen we make no prayer to them For inasmuche as the scripture teacheth vs that in God alone is all pleyntifull fulnesse of all good thynges and that Christ Iesus dothe at al tymes continually diligently faythfully and most perfitely accomplyshe all the partes of a most faythefull intercessour wyth God the Father ther is no cause lefte why faythfull folkes should turne vnto others than vnto God alone or desire helpe at any other than at Iesus Christ vnto God the Father Come to me sayeth Christ aloude all ye that labour and are heauy laden 〈◊〉 11. I shal refreshe you â—o 16. Verely I saye vn to you what so euer ye shall aske the father in my name he shall geue it you Hebr. 4. And Paule sayeth we haue not a hygh priest that can not haue compassion on our infirmities but was tempted in al pointes lyke as we are but yet without synne Let vs therfore go boldely vnto the trone of grace that we may obteyne mercye fynde grace to helpe in tyme of nede What offence now doth the gospellers churche in thys case whych in obeyeng the preceptes recorded in the Euangelistes and Apostles wrytynges goeth the strayght hygh waye vnto Christ and desyreth to be commended vnto God by his only intercessioÌ„ It is not readde in any place of the scriptures that any of the holy Apostles whyle they lyued here vpoÌ„ earthe requyred the intercession or helpe of any Patriarke Prophete or Martyr They dyd all cal vpon God by Iesus Christ alone Why should we than folowe straunge examples Thys is the true and pure callyng vpon God this is the true seruing of God and a sacrifice to God most acceptable Hebr. 13. Ro. 12. as Paule after the Prophetes beareth playn recorde Therfore ther is no heresie nor schisme fouÌ„de in these cases Saint Austen in his exposicion of this place of Iohn Babes if any do sinne Super epist Io. canonicam 1. Io. 2. we haue an aduocate wyth the father Iesus Christ the righteous sayeth Iohn dronke the secretes of hydden mysteries out of the Lordes brest He for al he was suche a man sayd not you haue an aduocate with the father but we haue an aduocate He sayd not you haue nor you haue Christ but he put in Christ not hym selfe and he sayd we haue not you haue He rather put hym selfe in the nombre of synners to haue Christe hys aduocate than put hym selfe an aduocate in Christes stede be founde among the proude damned Brethren we haue Iesus Christ the righteous an aduocate wyth the father he is the mercye seate of our synnes He that hath holden thys hathe done no heresie he that hath holden thys hath done no schisme nor sedicion Thus sayeth Austen Than seyng we folow the commaundement of the Apostle which did nother heresie nor schisme and seyng we call not vpon Iohn now lyuyng wyth Christ in heauen to be our aduocate but vpon Iesus Christ alone we may not be iustly called either heretikes or schismatikes The .xv. Capter YEt for all thys the Gospellers churche contemneth not the sayntes in heauen Honouring of Saynctes nor hyndreth them of their due glorie For we so honour them as the holy scripture teacheth vs to honour them We iudge honourably of them as it becoÌ„meth vs to iudge of goddes electe We thanke God for theyr fayth and doctrine and we praye that we maye atteyne to theyr company We loue them as brethren we prayse them as teachers and examples of faythe we defende them agaynst railers and wycked wretches as faythfull persones and worthy of eternall glorye we acknowlage them as dere frendes and brethrem of the sonne of God we preache of them as of the ercel lent instrumentes of God by whome he hathe wrought bothe our saluacion and wonderful weyghtye great maters besydes Now I trust no man wyll saye that we are enemyes to the sayntes raignyng wyth Christ in heauen seyng we attribute thus muche vnto them of a syncere and reuerent vnfeyned hart geuyng to God that is Goddes and to hys sayntes that is theirs The .xvi. Chapter A Gayn Sacramâ—â—tes of Christ aâ— the cureâ— the gospellers churthe hathe no newe Sacramente nor any mo than God hym selfe hath ordayned for it If ther be any other discipline or obseruaunce we so reuerence vse it as the Lorde hathe commauÌ„ded to vse it or as the forgeyng examples of the Apostles haue taught vs. Therfore the Churche of Englande vnder Kyng Edwarde the .vi. hade not Baptismâ— and the gospellers churche elles where at thys daye hathe not any newe Baptisme but the olde Baptisme euen the same that wyth callyng vpon the name of God is geuen in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Goost to the forgeueneffe of synnes By thys baptisme we beleue that all are baptised to be one body throughe the spirite of Christ 〈…〉 6. 〈…〉 l. 3. that baptisme dothe alwayes worke effectuallye in faythful beleuers For Christ dothe alwayes wattre the meÌ„bres of hys bodye wyth hys owne spirite So are we therfore the true membres of Christes churche â—â—e head 〈◊〉 memâ—â—â—s of the â—â—â—rche vnder that one head kyng shepeherde and most myghtye hye priest Iesus Christ our Lorde We are not schismatical cut of membres For we stycke faste vnto our one only head Christ our Lorde nother do we fal from the feloweship of the membres or body of the church wherwyth we are knytte together in spirite fayth and loue than why are we called schismatikes If we dyd put on an other head or departed froÌ„ the true meÌ„bres of Christ and were coupled to other straunge membres and so
as be doubtful hard to vnderstand we teache men to make recourse vnto the oryginall fountaynes wherout they were translated S. Austen contra Adimantum the 3. chap. saithe Si admittamus haereticis quod caussaÌ„tur libros sacros esse corruptos nullus erit contentionum finis That is yf we graunt vnto the he retikes as they fynde fault the the bokes of holy scripture are corrupt ther wylbe none ende of coÌ„tencion And in the 2. chap. of hys .xi. boke CoÌ„tra Faustum Manichaeum he sayeth Si de fide ex emplarium quaestio verteretur sicut in nonnullis quae paucae sunt sacrarum literarum studiosis notissimae sententiarum varietates vel ex aliarum regionuÌ„ codicibus vnde ipsa doctrina coÌ„meauit nostra dubitatio dijudicaretur vel si ibi quoque co dices variareÌ„t plures paucioribus aut vetustiores recentioribus praeferrentur Et si adhuc incerta esset varietas praecedens lingua vnde illud interpretatum est consuleretur Yf questioÌ„ should be moued concernyng the credence to be geuen vnto the copyes of the bokes of holye scriptures as it chaunceth in some diuersities of sentences whyche are but a fewe and knowen at the fyngers endes to them that be studentes of holy scriptures eyther our doubt muste be resolued by the textes of other couÌ„treyes whence that doctrine came or elles yf the textes themselues dyd varye in that behalfe the greater nombre should be preferred before the fewer or the auncienter before the yonger And in case the diuersitye were yet still vncertayn it should be tryed bi the former tongue wherout it was interpreted or translated For the same Austen rehearceth in an other place it is alleged in the decrees Dist 9 vt veteruÌ„ libroruÌ„ fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinaÌ„da est ita nouorum veritas Graeci sera monis normam desiderat That is like as the truthe of the bokes of the olde testameÌ„t is to be tryed by the Hebrue textes so must the bokes of the newe be ruled by the truthe of the greke tong And agayn in the .xi. chaptre of hys seconde boke De doctrina Christiana he saythe Latini homines duabus alijs ad scripturarum diuinarum cognitionem opus habent Hebraea scilicet Graeca vt ad exemplaria praecedentia recurratur si quaÌ„ dubitationem attulerit latinorum interpretum infinita varietas Latine men sayeth he had nede of two other toÌ„gues also to the perfyte knowlege of holy scripture that is to saye the Hebrue and Greke that they maye haue recourse vnto the original copyes in case the infinite diuersytye of latine interpretours haue caused any doubt Thus muche saithe Austen whythe hathe taught vs to be more fauourable vnto the sondry translaciones of the Bible and to iudge more purely of the authentike boke being written in bys owne language thaÌ„ those meÌ„nes wonted maner is whych takyng vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to haue the holy goost bynde all the churche vniuersally vnto the common receaued latine translacien contrary to the iudgement of all the auncieÌ„t doctours of the churche and condemine all godlye and faythfull interpretours of the Bible fowlly of ingratitude ¶ The .iii. Chapiter VVe of the churche of England refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the All truthe and godlynesse to be sought in the scripture .vi. and al other gospellers churches doo constauntly beleue that all truthe is to be sought and beleued and that all godlynesse and true seruing worship of God is most pleyntifully coÌ„prised in the holy sacred authentike hoke the Bible so that the maÌ„ of God is perfytlye prepared vnto all good workes vnto all good partes of office and al dueties doyng And on thys wyse dothe the gospellers churche deme and thynke of the Canonical scripture Wherin it diffreth toto muche from the churche of heretikes that most vniustly eyther defame the scriptures of vncertayntie and imperfection or els do not receaue some particular bokes therof or yf they do receaue them yet they corrupt and myngle mangle them and contende with tothe and nayle that all thynges necessarye to godlynesse and saluacion are not fully conteyned in them The iiii Chapter ALso where S. The menyng of the scripture 2. Pe. 1. Petre pronouÌ„ceth in playne wordes that propherye that is to saye the declared scripture was not brought by the wyl of man but the holy men of God beyng enforced spake as the holye Goost taught them and that therfore the scripture whych is the worde of prophecye is not of mannes priuate interpretacion furthermore where Paule accordyng to S. Ro. 10. Petres wordes coÌ„maundeth vs to moderate prophecie that is the office of interpretacion after the proporcion of faith and that the interpretours vse a discrete sobrietie and abyde wythin the bandes of fayth as the Lorde hath bestowed vnto euery one the measure of fayth The gospellers churche admitteth not euery interpretacion of the scriptures after euery ones opinion but that onely whych is fette out of the scripture selfe whych is of the spirite of God by whom the scripture is inspired whych agreeth wyth hym selfe in euery thyng and accordeth wyth the rule of fayth and charitie wherof we shal anone speake more largely For the scripture can not be expounded by any other spirite than by the self same by whom it was deliuered and set furthe 〈◊〉 8. As Thrist saithe in the gospel If you haue God to your father why doo ye not knowe my speche â—â—m 8. And the apostle saithe He that hathe not the spirite of Christe is none of his And agayn what maÌ„ knoweth the thinges that be of man Cor. 2. but the spirite of man which is in him so the thinges that be of God non knoweth but the spirite of God But we haue not receaued the spirit of the worlde but the spirit which is of God that we may know what thynges are geuen vnto vs of Christ In dede after suche sorte we affirme that the scriptures are cleare whych the heretikes contende to be obscure so that in thys behalfe we haue no thyng to do wyth them The .v. Chapter IN thys case we do in no wyse reiecte nor contemne the disputacions reasons what is be attriâ—â—ted vnto the fathâ—â— the interpretours of scriptâ—re and expositions of the holy fathers I meane the auncient olde byshopes and doctours of the church vpon the scriptures as Ireneus Origene Chrisostome Ambrofe Ierome Austen and suche other lyke so theyr exposition iudgementes vary in no poynt from the rules of the Apostles For theyr mynde and wyl was that theyr wrytynges should be none otherwyse demed of nor no further fidelitie attributed vnto them Hereof let S. AusteÌ„ hym self tel the tale wher he wryteth to Fortunatianus in hys thyrde epistle in these wordes Neque quorumlibet disputa tiones quamuis catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut scripturas canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia
to spare in theyr kyngdom wher hel fyre shal be theyr light They also make a most open lowd lye in sayeng the the gospellers church of Christ abateth and slaketh euery daye more and more Sure they prate that bycause Germanye was so lately assaulted and afflicted wyth warres bycause of the horrible alteracion in EnglaÌ„de And do not the lyeng wretches see that as Bermanye was tryed as golde is in the fyre euen so is Englande by martires blood The Lorde said to Petre Symon Symon Satan hathe desyred to sifte you Luce. 22. as it were wheat but I haue prayed for thee that thy faythe fayle not And whan thou arte coÌ„uerted streyngtheÌ„ thy brethren As for Petre he fell and denyed hys maister yea hys maister was also hanged on the crosse and all hys disciples ranne awaye But yet who caÌ„ gather therof Ergo Christes doctrine is false Ergo the Apostles churche is not the church Are not our aduersaries aduised the all which wyll lyue godly must nedes suffre persecucion Or why do they not see the they are fayne perforce with a sorowfull hart to confesse it to be true that in al theyr hyghe poÌ„pous ruffe their kingdom is euery daye more more rent cut of slydeth awaye that Christes gospel is clearly preached dayly more and more and taketh good roote in very Italye and Fraunce and is surely plaÌ„ted for al theyr massing myschief and tyrannous tormenting in wooful England it putteth furth hys grene buddes in Polone in Hungarie in Ilandes not a fewe yea and in very Turkye also For as fast as kynges and Prynces by the incensyng of bishoppes and priestes psecute faithful christiaÌ„ people with fyre sweord and for al that the wyse of thys world laye theyr heades together take couÌ„sail amoÌ„g them selues how they may hyndre the kyngdome of Christe and thwyte awaye the preachyng of the gospel yet they are neuer the farther for all theyr adoo the gospel bloweth hys horne stil wil do let the worlde stampe and stare euen to the last day til the sonne of God shal come geue rest and glorie to hys afflicted freÌ„des and seruauntes and caste hys enemyes headlong from hys presence in to the lake of vrymstone that shall burne for euermore Now yf a man wyl gather out of al thys simple treatise declaracioÌ„ the very markes of the true ryght catholike church of Christ wyl wyth aduised diligence beholde the gospellers churche whom the Papistes charge wyth heresie obseruing whether the more sure right markes of the true churche maye be founde in the gospellers churche he shall vtterly confesse that the gospellers church is gorgeously furnished wyth them and therfore cleare acquieted from all accusacions and raylyng reportes of al traiterous papistes aduersaries For the gospellers churche receaueth al and singular holy sacred canonical bokes The true markes of Christes â—atholike â—hurche bothe of the olde Testament the newe To them we geue credence in al pointes wythout contradiccion or doubt as authencicall that is hauing of them selues ful and perfit absolute autoritie In them we affirme that all truthe is to be beleued and al mysteries offices of godlynesse are in them fully conteyned and taught and therfore we referre all the affaires and businesses of the churche and al questions vnto them and we geue sentence ordayne and refourme after the definitiue iudgementes of them How be it we receaue not euery mannes iudgement of the holy scripture but the most catholike ryght meanyng grounded vpon the mynde of the holy Goost and of the conference of scriptures one place to an other conformable in all coÌ„dicions to sayth and charitie In thys behalfe we are not vnthankeful but thankful to antiquitis and set muche price by the labours and trauailes that the olde auÌ„cient fathers bestowed vpon the expounding of the scriptures and we gladly vse the godly interpretacions of the auncient prelates of the church whych diffre not from the rule of holy scripture The gospellers churche permitteth not the interpretacion of the scripture and the charge of the coÌ„gregacions to euery man at auenture but to suche as be therto lawfully chosen and apointed by the rule of the Apostles We beleue religiously embrace the chief principles of the christen fayth namely the fyrst health geuing promyse made of God in Paradise coÌ„terning Christ our redemer breaking the head or kyngdome and power of the deuil We religiously embrace that only and eternal couenaunt that God made wyth our fyrst parentes at the begynnyng of the worlde and afterwarde many tymes renewed it wyth the holy fathers We religiously beleue obey the most holye tables of the couenauÌ„t written wyth the fyngre of God and conteynyng the hole mysterye of al godlynesse We religiously receaue and vse the moste anntient articles of belefe called the Apostles Crede compreheÌ„dyng al the mysterye of faythe whych we fully syncerely beleue wyth al our hartes and confesse it also wyth open mouth and therupon we directly coÌ„demne all heresyes heretical persons We stycke not also to receaue al declaracioÌ„s and definicions of faythe whether they be of CouÌ„sailes or of Fathers so they agree wyth the Apostles Crede Nother do we refuse olde auncient Tradicions yf they agree wyth the doctrine of the gospell and the apostles scripture We preache the grace and merccie of God in Christ we professe that faithfulle christianes are iustifyed by the only merite of Christ through only faith in Christ and not by mannes workes or merites And therwith all we teache that a true faithe can not chose but bring furthe good workes Iames. 2. and we affirme with S. Iames the apostle that a fruteles faithe is a dead faithe We acknowlage that al men are synners and that all do amysse in verye many thynges and therfore synners haue nede of perpetual salue and we affirme that penaunce is the healthe geuyng salue to them that beleue in Christ And in thys behalfe as in other cases the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen haue place Herein we neclecte not discrete admonicion and brotherly reformacion In al these maters we praye continually to God wythout ceassyng We vse euer the pure callyng vpon God by the intercession of Christ alone We receaue and vse nother mo nor fewer Sacramentes than God hym selfe hathe delyuered vnto hys churche By Baptisme we haue entraunce into the churche thorough baptisme we are washed and bounden by vowe vnto God We also the poore churche of gospellers are nourished with the mystical Supper we celebrate the remembraunce of mannes redempcion purchaced by the bodye broken and blood shead of Iesus Christ We the gospellers churche geue thankes for goddes benefites and so we openlye professe our faythe We therfore abyde in the vnitie of the mysticall bodye vnder one onely heade and Kynge hygh priest shepeherde Iesus Christ we are not sondred froÌ„ the most faste knytte feloweship of the faythful meÌ„bres We